Infection of cultivated mouse peritoneal macrophages with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus.

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus strain WE multiplied in cultivated peritoneal macrophages from unstimulated NMRI mice. As revealed by immunofluorescence technique, most cells participated in the infectious process. They were not, however, functionally altered. Morphologically, infected cells contained more cytoplasmic vacuoles, but these were also present, though less numerous, in uninfected ageing cells and in cells having phagocytosed Latex beads. As compared with the WE strain virus, the E-350 (Armstrong) strain multiplied more slowly to lower titres, but the proportion of infected cells was similar.